United States yearbook - 1982 (1)

Courts 187
No. 315. U .S . S u p r e m e C o u r t — C a s e s F i le d a n d D i s p o s it io n : 1 9 7 0 t o 1 9 8 1
[Statutory term of court begins first Monday in October. See H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l T im a s to 1970, series H 1063-1078, for
related but not comparable data]
ACTION 1970 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Total eases on docket.................... . 4,212 5,079 4,668 4,761 4,731 4,704 4,731 4,781 5,144 5,311
Appellate cases on docket... 1.903 2,480 2,308 2,352 2,324 2,341 2,383 2,509 2,749 2,935
From prior term.................. 325 412 540 431 452 472 434 425 527 522
Docketed during present tei m 1,578 2,068 1,768 1,921 1.872 1,869 1,949 2,084 2,222 2,413
Cases acted upon............. 1,613 1,948 1,967 1,900 2,019 1,979 2,023 2,050 ‘2,324 ■2,513
Granted review............... 214 229 235 244 237 224 210 199 167 203
Denied, dismissed, or withdrawn.............. 1,285 1,572 1,594 1,536 1,620 1,676 1,734 1,776 1,999 2,100
Summarily decided......... 114 147 138 118 162 79 79 75 90 114
Cases not acted upon___ _ 290 532 341 452 305 362 360 459 425 422
Pauper cases on docket....... 2,269 2,585 2,348 2,395 2,398 2,349 2,331 2,249 2,371 2,354
Cases acted upon............. 1,802 2,013 1,976 1,997 2,083 1,960 1,996 1,838 '2,027 '2,039
Granted review............... 41 30 28 28 30 24 27 32 17 7
Denied, dismissed, or withdrawn.............. 1,663 1,942 1,914 1,903 2,013 1,899 1,938 1,757 1,968 2,014
Summarily decided.................................. 78 41 34 66 40, 37 31 49 32 1 2
487 572 372 398 316 389 335 411 344 315
Original cases on docket................................ 20 14 12 14 8 14 17 23 24 2 2
Cases disposed of during term................... 7 4 4 7 2 3 - 1 7 6
Total cases available for argument................. 267 261 276 280 269 260 249 238 264 318
Cases disposed of...................................... 160 172 178 181 181 185 170 160 162 192
Cases argued.......................................... 151 170 175 179 176 172 168 156 154 184
Cases dismissed or remanded without
argument............................................. 9 2 3 2 5 13 2 4 8 a
Cases remaining......................................... 107 69 100 99 86 75 79 78 102 126
Cases decided by signed opinion................ 126 161 144 160 154 153 153 143 144 170
Cases decided by per curiam opinion.......... 22 8 20 18 22 8 8 12 8 10
Number of signed opinions......................... 109 140 123 138 126 129 130 130 123 141
- Represents zero. 'Includes cases granted review and carried over to next term, not shown separately.
Source: Office of the Clerk, Supreme Court of the United States, unpublished data.
No. 3 1 6 . U.S. Courts of A p p e a ls : i960 to 1981
[For years ending June 30. See also H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l T im e s to 1 97 0, series H 1079-10961
ITEM I960 1965 1970 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Cases commenced 1......................... 3,899 6,766 11,662 16,436 16,658 16,408 19,118 16,918 20,219 23,200 26.362
Criminal.......................................... 623 1,223 2,660 4,067 4,187 4,650 4.738 4,487 4,102 4.405 4.377
U.S. civil.................. 788 1,387 2,167 3,267 2,981 3,327 3,622 3,928 3,983 4,654 4.940
Private civil.............. 1,534 2,677 4,834 6,157 6,511 7,077 7,358 7,234 8,237 10,200 12,074
Administrative appeals.................... 737 1,106 1,522 2,205 2,290 2,515 2,564 2,382 2 ,9 2 2 2,950 3,800
Cases terminated ■.... 3,713 5,771 10,699 15,422 16,000 16,426 17,784 17,714 18,928 20,887 25,066
Criminal................... 580 1,014 2,581 4,299 4,005 4,238 4,554 4,461 4,320 3,993 4,192
U.S. civil.................. 750 1,229 1,912 2,791 3,094 2,653 3,198 3,437 3,857 4 ,3 4 6 5,021
Private civil.............. 1,517 2,183 4,367 5,847 6,252 6,248 6,680 6,813 7,175 6,942 11,327
Administrative appeals.................... 660 1,004 1,407 1,734 1,909 2 ,3 S 8 2,510 2,256 2,602 2,643 3,303
Cases disposed of I ......................... 2,681 3,546 6,139 8,461 9,077 9,351 11,400 8,850 9,285 10,607 12,168
Affirmed or granted......................... 1,924 2,635 4,626 6,429 6,763 6,995 7,826 6,717 7,062 8,017 9,004
Reversed or denied........................ 656 773 1,280 1,579 1,632 1,660 1,715 1,536 1,542 1,845 2 ,2 4 6
Other............................................. 101 138 233 443 6B2 676 1,859 597 681 745 918
Median monthss................................ 6.8 8.0 8.2 6.8 7.4 7.1 7.0 6.0 0.2 8.8 9.3
'Includes original proceedings and bankruptcy appeals not shown separately. ‘After hearing or submission. Beginning 1974,
data not comparable with earlier years due to changes in criteria. 3 From filing of complete record to final disposition.
No. 3 1 7 . U.S. D i s t r i c t C o u r t s — T r i a l s : 1960 t o 1981
ror years ending June 30. For I960, trials commenced; thereafter, trials completed. A trial is defined as a contested p ro c e e d in g
(other than a nearing on a motion) before either court or jury in which evidence is introduced and linal Judgment sought. See
footnote 1, table 319. See also H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l lim e s to 1 97 0, series H 1112-1118]
TYPE OP TRIAL 1960 1965 1970 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Total............................. 9,998 11,485 16,032 16,572 19,236 19,580 18,827 18,851 18,563 19,82$ 21,239
CM Mats.,........................ 6,488 7,613 9,449 10,972 11,603 11,656 11,605 11,515 11,764 13,191 14,697
Nonjury......................... 3,453 4,459 6,078 7,403 7,903 8,098 7,792 8,326 8,346 9,254 10,047
Jury.............___ .........__ 3,035 3,154 3,371 3,569 3,700 3,556 3,813 3,189 3,416 3.93 7 4,650
Criminal trials................... 3.510 3,872 6,583 7,600 7,633 7,924 7,222 7,336 6,799 6,634 6,542
Nonjury........................ 1.008 1,143 2,357 2,753 2,726 2,773 2,661 3,3 4 4 3,132 3,216 2,962
Jury.............................. 2,502 2,729 4,226 4,847 4,907 5,151 4,561 3,992 3,667 3,418 3,580
Source of tables 316 and 317: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Annual Report o f the Director: